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Blue House welcomes nominee for U.S. ambassador to Korea

Published: 14 Apr. 2026, 13:56

YOON SO-YEON
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The Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul [YONHAP]

The Blue House on Tuesday welcomed former congresswoman Michelle Steel, a Korean American and the nominee for U.S. ambassador to South Korea, and expressed hope that her formal appointment would further strengthen bilateral ties.

U.S. President Donald Trump tapped Steel, a former two-term Republican lawmaker from California, for the post, which has remained vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg left Seoul in January 2025.

“We expect that the formal appointment of nominee Steel will bolster Korea-U.S. relations and promote friendship between the people of the two nations,” a presidential official said.

Steel will be formally appointed upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate, a process that typically takes several months.

If confirmed, she would become the second Korean American to serve as U.S. ambassador to South Korea, following Sung Kim, who served in Seoul from 2011 to 2014.

Her nomination comes as Seoul and Washington face a range of shared tasks, including modernizing the bilateral alliance, addressing trade and investment issues and cooperating on regional and global challenges, such as North Korea's threats and the Iran war.

Yonhap